UWS to support Hawkesbury River native fish habitat

Launching the Habitat Action Grant on the Hawkesbury River

Member for Londonderry Bart Bassett, Hawkesbury Environment Network chairman John Street, NSW Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson, UWS Hawkesbury campus Provost Professor Roy Tasker and Bass Sydney Fishing Club project officer Alan Izzard 

Improving the health of fish habitat along the Hawkesbury River is the aim of a new joint project between the University of Western Sydney and the Bass Fishing Club.  

The NSW Government announced its grants for Habitat Action at the UWS Riverfarm with the NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, Member for Londonderry Bart Bassett and UWS Hawkesbury campus Provost Professor Roy Tasker.

The Fish @ the Hawkesbury Riverfarm project, which received a grant of $21,863, is based at the UWS Riverfarm located on the Hawkesbury River - a historic holding of prime agricultural land gazetted in 1799.

The ultimate aim of this project is to create more fish by restoring important riparian zones that protect the river from land based activities and provide food, shade and shelter for native fish and other aquatic life in the system.

"UWS is currently redeveloping Riverfarm as a collaborative learning space for sustainability for all students from kindergarten to university and interested community members. The new project builds upon several initiatives already underway," says Professor Tasker.

In 2014 an open day will be hosted by UWS with the Bass Fishing Club and the Hawkesbury Environment Network targeting local high schools to raise awareness of the importance of riparian zone health in supporting native aquatic species of the Hawkesbury River.

This initiative led by the UWS Office of Sustainability and the RCE-GWS will begin with undertaking re-snagging of the river, implement invasive weed management and revegetate the riparian corridor with native plant species.

Ends

29 January 2014

Contact: Tanya Patterson, Media Officer

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